The Lingering Hope
by brezo-1816
Summary: The paths of Teagan Guerrin and Ellenna Cousland have crossed many times and each meeting has added another thread to their connection. But now that Ellenna lies badly injured after defeating the archdemon, will the threads be forever broken?
1. Aftermath

**A fanfic for my favourite game that I've been writing in my spare time. I hope you like it.**

…

The bann of Rainesfere made his way down the hall, unable to ignore the heavy silence at every corner. When he reached the guest quarters her companions, with the exception of Wynne and Morrigan, were all stood outside the room. Zevran was barely standing, burdened by wounds he refused to have treated and Leliana stood near to him, her face, arms and legs covered in bruises and scratches. Sten and Oghren both had blood smeared across their faces while Shale seemed to have something resembling pain shining in her eyes. The sight of them all only strengthened the clench of Teagan's heart.

"Alistair," he called weakly to the man he considered his nephew. The blonde warden looked crushed, dark circles hung heavily under his eyes and his hair was matted with blood and sweat. Alistair slowly walked towards him and offered a weak greeting.

"…how is she?" Teagan barely managed to ask.

"She survived killing the archdemon…" the younger man began, confirming that the ritual he told Teagan about had worked, "…but she was already wounded badly, the force of the blast…it…" the new king could barely continue.

"Wynne and Irving are with her, she lives…though her injuries are…severe," Sten explained from his position at the door, calm and firm yet still showing more emotion than his companions had ever seen. Oghren shifted awkwardly next to him.

"Ellenna brought us all this way…she survived the final battle and now…" Leliana began but couldn't continue as the tears began to spill down her cheeks. Zevran quickly put his arm around her, though doing so caused him visible pain. They all looked towards the door the moment it opened and Wynne stepped out, looking exhausted.

"Irving and I have done all we can, the rest is up to her," she told them. Her expression was grave and yet her voice held a glimmer of hope, hope that the young grey warden who had brought them together would not leave them now that Ferelden was saved.

"I'll inform Eamon," Teagan announced softly though his entire being was telling him to stay, that this might be his last chance to see her. As if sensing his inner turmoil, Alistair placed a hand on his shoulder and volunteered to go instead, citing official matters as an excuse. Teagan met his nephew's eyes with confusion but they were interrupted by Irving stepping out of the room.

"She is peaceful for now, she is doing better than I expected but she is still very much in danger," he reported in a voice that revealed his exhaustion, "I must check on the mages but someone should stay in there with her." All of her companions immediately volunteered and Teagan began to turn away.

"No, you all have wounds that need treating…Bann Teagan," he immediately turned back at Wynne's call, "Would you mind staying a while?"

"…certainly," he replied after a few moments. Alistair placed a hand on his shoulder again before walking off down the corridor. The warden's companions slowly followed, accompanied by Irving. Teagan approached the door reluctantly, not sure if he wanted to see her the way she would be.

"She might be able to hear you, you should talk to her," Wynne told him with a warm voice.

"What should I say?" he asked, his noble confidence all but gone.

"Anything you want, I think hearing your voice will comfort her," Wynne replied with an odd shine in her eyes before following the others down the hallway. Teagan was left to stare at the doorway, unsure whether he had the strength to go inside. Finally, he lifted his hand to the door handle and pushed it open. Her mabari, Hero, raised his head at the sound but settled again when he saw Teagan. The man made his way into the room and almost cried out at what he saw.

"_Drink, Teagan! You'll find them better company that way," Eamon implored his younger brother with a smirk on his lips. He practically shoved the goblet of wine into Teagan's hand and laughed when the younger man reluctantly drank it all in one attempt. They were stood near the wall on one side of the Landsmeet chamber, which had been converted into a dining hall to celebrate the wedding of King Cailan Theirin to Anora Mac Tir, daughter of Teyrn Loghain. The nobles were in their finery and on their best behaviour, though Teagan had no doubt they would be back to their argumentative ways once the royal couple left for their honeymoon._

"_I swear, Eamon, if your wife introduces me to one more 'good friend' of hers I will pour the next goblet over her head," Teagan hissed when he saw Isolde and another well-dressed lady gossiping and glancing in his direction. Eamon simply laughed at the threat._

"_She is simply doing what she believes to be her duty as your sister-in-law," he reasoned, "Besides, it's about time you found a wife," the bearded man added before his attention was drawn by a new arrival. Teagan turned to see Teyrn Bryce and Tyerna Eleanor Cousland enter the hall, followed by their son and Teagan's close friend, Fergus._

"_Teagan!" Fergus greeted with a smile as Eamon went to greet his parents. The paired clasped each other on the shoulder._

"_You have no idea how relieved I am to see you, I need an ally," Teagan muttered with urgency. Fergus raised a curious eyebrow._

"_An ally? That sounds serious," he replied before Teagan glanced around to check they were speaking privately._

"…_Isolde is trying to find me a __**wife!**__" he hissed. Fergus blinked at him for a moment before bursting into laughter and Teagan couldn't help but smile at his friend's amusement._

"_I know for a fact you've faced worse in your time but yes, I would not face your sister-in-law's match-making alone either, thank goodness Ellenna does not have the same interests," Fergus added, still trying to control his laughter. At the mention of his friend's sister Teagan paid particular attention, something Fergus didn't fail to notice._

"_Get in line, Teagan, you know you would be my first choice for a brother-in-law but mother has every noble's son lining up at the gates to win Lena's hand," he reminded his friend, laughing again when Teagan failed to hide his disappointment. The young bann decided to change the subject._

"_How is Orianna?" he asked, though his manoeuvre did not go unnoticed by Fergus._

"_She is well, in fact better than well," he replied with a smile, "She's expecting."_

"_That's wonderful news! Congratulations Fergus!" Teagan hugged his friend with genuine happiness and a touch of jealousy. The younger man had everything Teagan hoped for and feared he wouldn't have. Fergus would one day be Teyrn of Highever but, having met Orianna, Teagan knew that was not what she had married Fergus for. They were very well matched and made an excellent pair. Teagan knew there were usually only two reasons the ladies lined up to greet him: the Bannorn of Rainsfere and, if Eamon died childless, the Arling of Redcliffe. Such obvious motivation made it rather difficult to determine the genuine from the greedy._

"_When will you visit Highever?" Fergus interrupted his thoughts, "My father is organising a hunt and Lena asks about you."_

"_She does?" Teagan asked in surprise, suspecting a blush was rising to his cheeks. Fergus chuckled._

"_Don't sound so surprised, she likes you, Teagan, she says you're one of the only men who will talk to her without eyeing her up…though I suspect she's got that part wrong," he added with a cheeky grin, earning a punch in the arm._

The pain of remembering his friend barely compared to how he felt at the sight of Ellenna. The woman who should have been Tyerna of Highever was lying in her bed, pale as moonlight and yet her face was as smooth as silk. Wynne and Irving had obviously healed her outer injuries and now it was only the loss of blood which caused them fear. Teagan couldn't suppress the urge to touch her skin and took her hand in his, almost crying out at how cold it was. He wondered what was keeping her alive, what strength she was hanging onto when her body was obviously so weak. He remembered Wynne's words before he entered the room.

"My lady… it's Teagan, Arl Eamon's brother, I mean…you already know that…" he stuttered, inwardly cursing his foolishness, "the archdemon was defeated, my lady, you ended the blight…your companions, they're all safe but they're worried about you, we're all worried about you…you were wounded so badly… Andraste, I don't know what I'm saying, it was easier to speak to you before the battle…now it's…" his words faltered and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration, remembering the interaction they had had before the forced march to Denerim.

_She stepped out of her room, combing her long, wet hair. She noticed him before he had even turned the corner. An advantage of her warden experience, no doubt._

_ "How are you feeling?" she asked him quietly, surprising him with her concern._

_ "I should ask you that, you are in greater danger than I," Teagan replied with a weak smile. He wanted so badly to offer words of encouragement but what could he say that would not sound naïve and foolish?_

_ "You're going into battle as well, I might be facing an archdemon but I will have my companions with me, I would say our chances are about the same," she responded with a calmness that amazed him. It made him wonder if she had already accepted her fate, if she expected to die tomorrow._

_ "I wish more than anything that your chances are greater than mine, my lady," he told her with emphasis on every word. She smiled at him but there was a deep sadness in her eyes._

_ "I wish the same for you, my lord," she told him gently and he wanted so much to comfort her. He knew that nothing either of them could say would delay the coming battle or protect them from it. They would both be fighting tomorrow and it was likely that they would both die. He would die defending the people of Denerim and she would cast the final blow to the archdemon, an action he now knew would be fatal. Though he would give anything for both her and his nephew to be saved, Alistair was to become king and he knew Ellenna, as Alistair's friend, as a warden and most especially as a Cousland, would do her duty and ensure he lived to claim the throne._

_ "My lord?" her voice pulled him from his thoughts and he found her barely inches from him, watching his face with concern. He realised, to his humiliation, that tears had begun spilling down his cheeks but when he looked into her eyes he found the same tears in hers._

_ "Fergus always spoke so highly of you, like you were his brother," she admitted sadly, taking short shallow breaths in an attempt to halt the emotion, "As soon as I saw you in the chantry at Redcliffe I knew why…I would ask you not to go into battle tomorrow, to live when he didn't…but I know you'll still go," she admitted as the tears slipped down her cheeks. Without thinking, he raised his hand to gently brush them away but that only caused them to come down faster._

_ "I have to lead my men, I have to do my duty," he reasoned and she gave him a smile that managed to reach her eyes._

_ "Always a Guerrin," she remarked with a short laugh and he smiled sadly._

_ "Always a Cousland." Their eyes met again and it felt so natural to close the distance between them. She only tilted her head up slightly and his lips met hers. It was so painful to feel so happy, knowing that it would never happen again. All of the feelings he had restrained over the years he released into that kiss and felt her respond with the same passion. When their lips parted he rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed in an effort to forever remember the moment, the feeling of her being so close. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he held her tightly._

_ "Survive this battle," she spoke barely above a whisper, "Promise me, Teagan." He pulled back and looked into her eyes, holding her gaze with confusion. Were these her parting words to him? Making him promise to survive knowing she wouldn't?_

_ "If I do promise, how will you know if I've kept it?" he asked though it hurt him. Her eyes wandered to the ground and her obvious inner conflict ignited some strange form of hope in him. After a few more seconds of hesitation she began to explain._

_ Alistair…the apostate…a ritual…none of those words stood out to him as much as 'survive'. There was a chance. There was a chance that she might live._

_ "You'll survive killing the archdemon?" he asked urgently._

_ "Morrigan seems to think so," she replied, "I don't know if I will survive finding it though, or the battle with it…if I fall it will be left to Alistair to finish it," she added and her words stung but they did not extinguish the hope that now burned in his heart._

_ "Then I promise…if you'll promise me the same," he insisted and she smiled gently at his firm expression. She searched his eyes for a few seconds, unsure of how to answer before slowly nodding._

_ "I promise I will try, that is the best I can offer," she told him and he nodded, deciding that answer would do. They quietly bid each other goodnight, Ellenna offering a gentle squeeze of his hand when they parted. Teagan watched her walk down the hall before returning to his own room, unaware of the eyes that had spotted him and the smile their owner wore._

"You promised…Ellenna," he whispered, his voice shaking, "I kept mine, you have to keep yours." The light creeping through the net curtains drew his eyes. He hadn't realised how long he had been sitting there with her. A gently knock on the door was followed by the entry of Wynne. She wore a soft smile when she saw where his hand still clutched the young warden's.

"Has she woken at all?" she asked and he shook his head sadly. The old woman placed her hand on Ellenna's forehead. After a few moments she frowned.

"I sense no change in her, that is…worrying…"

"She's not getting better?" he asked, unable to mask the fear in his voice. Wynne reluctantly shook her head and Teagan felt his heart clench tightly. Wynne gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Teagan," he heard his brother call from just outside the room. Wynne agreed to watch her before he made his way outside. The worried look on his brother's face added to his despair.

"How is she?" Eamon asked and Teagan reluctantly repeated Wynne's words.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you, Teagan but there are matters in Redcliffe that need seeing to and I cannot leave Denerim at this time, another Landsmeet has been called to discuss the country's recovery and I must assist Alistair," Eamon informed him. As soon as he had seen his brother Teagan had already known the request he would be given but it still frustrated him to hear it.

"Must I leave now?" he asked, hiding his desperation to be spared the task. Never before had he wished to avoid his duty but at that moment the thought of leaving Denerim, of even leaving that estate was terrible.

"I'm afraid so, Redcliffe cannot be left without leadership any longer and, sadly, Murphy was killed in the battle…" Eamon told him and Teagan felt a deep sadness. Murphy had been the capable mayor of Redcliffe village for years. His loss would be strongly felt among the people. Reluctantly, he nodded. Eamon smiled sadly and patted his brother's shoulder before walking back the way he came. Teagan turned towards the warden's room and saw Wynne standing at the door, a sympathetic look on her face. Knowing that seeing her again would make it even harder to leave, Teagan said goodbye to Wynne, expressed his hope that Ellenna would recover and left to prepare for his reluctant departure.

…

**Hope you like it so far. Reviews would be greatly appreciated.**


	2. Awaken

**Sorry for the wait, here is the next chapter. Thanks to Jaden Anderson for the review, hope there are less typos in this one :)**

...

_He growled in annoyance when his arrow hit the dummy, several inches off target. Had it been a darkspawn it would have slowed the creature down but certainly not killed it. Teagan picked up and notched another arrow before releasing it. Again it landed several inches off. Ellenna bit her lip in an attempt to not smile, not that he could see her. It was early evening and what little light there was fell on the patio where Teagan was practising. She could hear the music inside where the rest of the Couslands and Guerrins were still socialising._

"_I take it archery isn't your strong point, my lord?" she called, startling him enough for the next arrow to shoot into the bushes. He looked around and failed to see her._

"_Up here," she called and Teagan finally saw where she was perched on the rooftop. He smiled when he saw her, which pleased her for reasons she wasn't quite sure of._

"_Rowan was the archer, she tried to teach Eamon and I but we always preferred swords," he chuckled, a sad smile gracing his face at the memory of his sister. Ellenna waited for a few moments, unsure of what to say, before deciding to lighten the situation._

"_Perhaps she saw potential," she suggested before hopping from the roof with remarkable grace and landing a few feet away from him. She walked over to the rack and collected one of her own bows. Returning to his side, she notched an arrow and sent it straight between what would have been the dummy's eyes. Teagan sighed in defeat._

"_Glad to see someone can do it," he told her before walking towards the rack._

"_And where are you going?" she called and he turned back to her with a look of confusion, "I don't intend to see your sister's efforts go to waste, my lord, come here," she instructed in a tone that would have been inappropriate were their families not so close. He did as he was told and stood by her side. He notched an arrow and lifted the bow. Before he could release it, she placed her hand on his and lifted it._

"_Aim a little above the target and slightly towards the wind," she murmured, very aware of their close proximity and inwardly scolding herself for being so bold. Teagan took a deep breath and released the arrow, watching it sink into the dummy's chest. Not a perfect shot but certainly an excellent one._

"_Your sister was right," Ellenna told him with a satisfied smile._

"_Thank you, my lady," he replied, matching her smile._

Ellenna, in her weakened and delirious state, couldn't comprehend why she was thinking about that event. She heard the distant murmur of voices that she partly recognized. Her eyes were still shut as it took too much of an effort to open them but with the warmth that spread from the hand holding hers she knew at least that she was safe. Her mind tried to clear away the confusion, revealing flashes of fire and darkspawn. The shock must have made her shudder as the voices grew louder and the hand squeezed hers tightly.

"Ellenna?" she finally heard a clear word and recognized Leliana's voice. She managed a muffled groan in reply before attempting to finally open her eyes. The light in the room, wherever she was, was dim and after a few blinks she managed to open her eyes fully. What greeted her first were two rogues.

"Praise Andraste!" the bard gasped and Zevran put a happy arm around her.

"It is a relief to see you alive, my dear warden," the Antivan elf greeted her with a smirk. Ellenna attempted to smile back and slowly sat up.

"What happened?" she asked, wincing at the ragged sound of her voice. Leliana began her report on the final battle.

"So everyone's alright?" the warden asked with a relieved smile as she scratched her mabari's ear. Hero just panted happily, clearing having known all along that his master would be fine.

"Yes, though very concerned for you, our new King has barely slept, Wynne is rarely away from this room, Sten and Shale don't trust the guards to patrol this corridor and Oghren has stopped drinking."

"Stopped drinking? Maker's breath, how badly was I hurt?"

"Very badly, for a while we thought you wouldn't make it," Leliana told her in a quiet voice and Zevran gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "the whole country has been waiting for you to wake up, Teagan looked crushed when he lef-"

"Bann Teagan? He was here?" Ellenna interrupted, regretting it immediately as her head throbbed.

"Yes, he lead reinforcements to Denerim, he wasn't far behind us when the Archdemon was defeated," Zevran explained, "but Arl Eamon needed him to return to Redcliffe and he was very reluctant to go, obviously," he added with a wink and Ellenna wondered how much he knew.

"BY THE FLAMING STONE! YOU'RE AWAKE!" they all winced as Oghren bellowed upon entering the room. Ellenna greeted the red-headed dwarf with genuine warmth though queried her friend's sudden dry routine.

"Ah…ale don't taste that good when you got other things on your mind," he replied. Ellenna almost commented that he still drank when Branka was missing but instead accepted the hidden complement and smiled.

"It is good to see you recovered, kadan," Sten greeted after following Oghren.

"I hope I didn't cause too much fuss, Sten," she told the loyal Qunari to which he replied that such concern was to be expected. Leliana informed her that Alistair would want to know she was awake and the group agreed to head downstairs as soon as the warden was able to do so.

…

As they continued their journey up the King's Highway Teagan wondered if they had chosen too large a group. They had decided horses would draw too much attention but still he detected the rustle of leaves and echoes of growls on the wind at every corner.

"What are they waiting for?" Ser Perth muttered next to him while trying to keep his face neutral.

"The perfect time to strike," Teagan muttered back, his expression grim. Ser Perth returned his gaze to the road ahead. The men were becoming increasingly nervous. They were not a small group but not all were entirely recovered from the events in Denerim and it was becoming apparent that the darkspawn waiting to attack were large in number. Teagan's hand instinctively moved towards his sword and he was given only a few seconds to draw it before the darkspawn were upon them. There were more than even Teagan had anticipated and the group soon found themselves surrounded. He guessed they were one of the larger groups left from the horde that attacked Denerim. The swing of a knife dangerously close to his face brought Teagan back to the moment and he began to parry the blows that came his way. Three of his men were already on the floor bleeding and many others were struggling against the overwhelming numbers. Before Teagan could signal the retreat, however, he heard a blissfully familiar yell and turned to see men coming out of the trees and hacking at the darkspawn, all bearing the Highever crest.

"Fergus!"

_The heir to the Cousland estate paced back and forth with his hands tugging at his shirt. Teagan smiled upon finding his best friend in such a state._

"_Fergus, she's a woman not a wolf, you don't need to be so nervous," the young Bann of Rainesfere attempted to reassure him. Fergus looked at him and offered a weak chuckle._

"_She's Antivan and rumoured to be related to a Crow, a wolf might be a safer option," the young man weakly replied. Teagan just chuckled more._

"_This isn't a signed contract, Fergus, if you don't like her you don't have to marry her," the noble argued and Fergus appeared to contemplate that option until his father entered._

"_Well, my lad, are you ready to meet your betrothed? She's a fine woman, you know, from a wealthy family, she'll make an excellent wife for you," the Teyrn of Highever commented happily before patting his son on the back._

"_Not a signed contract, indeed?" Fergus hissed to a very amused Teagan who opened his mouth to reply but was beaten by the ladies' arrival. Eleanor entered followed by Ellenna with a very attractive woman on her arm._

"_Oriana, may I present my idiot brother, Fergus," Ellenna announced with a wink for her sibling. Teagan expected to hear a retort from his best friend but found Fergus hadn't taken his eyes from Oriana. The Antivan woman appeared to be equally distracted by him._

"_Fergus!" the teyrna hissed and Fergus finally remembered to bow, giving the offered hand of his betrothed a soft kiss. It didn't take long for the pair to find their own spot in the room and fall into conversation, while Bryce and Eleanor chatted happily with Oriana's parents. That left Ellenna to converse with Teagan._

"_Your brother seems rather smitten, my lady," Teagan commented as he handed Ellenna a drink. She smirked as she glanced at the betrothed pair and then shrugged her shoulders._

"_I knew they would be as soon as I met her, she's perfect for him," she replied confidently, "They'll be married within two months, I would wager my inheritance on it."_

"_All of it?" Teagan asked and she nodded, "That's very confident but I must say I agree with you, Fergus has met many beautiful ladies and none provoked a reaction like that," he added and glanced at his best friend who was now laughing at something Oriana told him._

"_I suppose I should hope the wedding is delayed for as long as possible," Ellenna then commented with a sigh._

"_Why would you hope for that?" Teagan asked with a confused frown._

"_Well, once he's married off they'll be after me next, I doubt I'll enjoy the fiancé bartering any more than Fergus has," she explained with a resigned expression, "Mother's at it already but I swear if her choices so far are anything to go by then all the eligible bachelors in Ferelden are hopeless fools," she added and Teagan inwardly winced._

"_All of them?" he asked quietly. She held his gaze for a moment before smiling and looking away._

"_Yes…but with one or two honourable exceptions," she replied quietly, still smiling as her parents beckoned the pair over to join their discussion._

Remembering the other Cousland sibling hurt Teagan more than any injury the darkspawn were inflicting upon him. Turning his attention from the Teyrn of Highever to the task at hand, Teagan sliced the head off the darkspawn next to him before cutting down three more. The Redcliffe soldiers, buoyed by the presence of their new comrades, hacked at the darkspawn with renewed energy, assured that victory was near. Despite the turn in odds, the darkspawn continued their attack, only to be brought down one by one until the handful remaining saw sense and attempted to retreat. The rogues of each group finished them off with a few arrows to their backs.

"Fergus…" Teagan gasped in disbelief. His friend offered him a relieved smile before the pair hugged warmly. They walked a few yards away from the soldiers, who immediately set about treating the wounded.

"How are you here? We thought you were dead, lost to the Wilds…" Teagan asked and his friend's expression turned grave as he explained the attack on his scouting party, not just by darkspawn but by assassins he assumed were hired by Arl Howe. The villain's name brought dread to Teagan's heart.

"Fergus…your family…" he began without knowing how to explain. Fergus' eyes were filled with sadness as he nodded.

"After I recovered from my injuries in the Wilds, I gathered what few men remained and went back to Highever," he told his friend and Teagan knew that every word was painful, "a few villagers heard of my arrival and met me at the border…they told me what happened and urged me to flee from Highever before Howe's men found me…so we travelled, gathering what men we could find, we were on our way to Denerim when we heard you were nearby," he added, gesturing to the men that stood yards away from them.

"I'm so sorry, Fergus," Teagan weakly replied.

"They burned all the bodies…my wife…my son…I can't even bury them," Teagan placed a hand on his friend's shoulders when it became apparent Fergus was struggling to cope, "I should have been there with them…father, mother, Lena..."

"You didn't lose Ellenna," Teagan interrupted, though he felt his heart clench when he realised he might be unintentionally lying, "she survived Howe's betrayal and thanks to her Howe is dead." Fergus looked up in shock, hope sparkling in his unshed tears.

"Lena's alive? But Howe's men told the villagers she was dead with our parents," Fergus replied with confusion.

"He lied, Ellenna was rescued and recruited by the Grey Wardens, she was the one who defeated the Archdemon in Denerim," Teagan told him while the clench of his heart remained. Was she even still alive? Or was he giving his best friend false hope?

"My sister? A Grey Warden? …where is she now?" his friend asked the inevitable question.

"She…is at Eamon's estate in Denerim, she was…badly injured in the final battle and defeating the Archdemon left her especially weak…" Teagan explained and gave Fergus a moment to comprehend the information.

"Why isn't she at our Denerim estate?"

"Howe left it in bad shape, Fergus and she didn't want to be reminded of… She thought you were dead, she still does."

"Let me accompany you back to Denerim," he insisted and Teagan immediately agreed. Without another word they returned to their men and, once the injured were treated, recommenced their march back to Denerim.

…

When she finally persuaded the others to let her have some time alone Ellenna used the stealth techniques she had learned as a rogue and made her way to the royal estate. Slipping past the guards with relative ease, she found Alistair in the landsmeet chamber, listening to Eamon's latest lecture on Ferelden politics. She smiled with sympathy and when he finally saw her his face lit up. Without a word he rushed over and lifted her into his arms. She chuckled as he spun her around and caught a glimpse of Eamon's curious expression. They must have looked like lovers. Alistair would have to clear that up with him at some point.

"They said you had woken up but they wouldn't let me see you," he complained with an expression that made him look childlike. She chuckled again and ruffled his hair.

"I needed a little time for my brain to start working again, we can't all live with empty heads you know," she teased and he gave her a light punch in the arm.

"You'll never guess the message I received this morning," Alistair told her with a smirk though his eyes were full of excitement. Ellenna offered no guess and his smirk broke into a wide smile.

"Teagan is returning to Denerim," he began, pausing to watch the barely concealed relief on her face, "and he's bringing a group of Highever soldiers he met on the road."

"Highever?" she gasped and he nodded.

"Lead by…Fergus!" It took her a few moments to comprehend what he had told her. Her first instinct was to not believe it but then her heart told her Alistair would never lie to her. When she finally accepted the news, tears began to fill her eyes.

"It's been so long…with no word…I finally accepted he was dead." Alistair pulled her into a warm hug and she sobbed with relief.

"They will both be overjoyed to see you recovered," Eamon told her. She looked into his eyes, saw the warmth there and suspected that maybe he wasn't oblivious to the truth after all.

...

**Hope you liked this chapter, please review!**


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